PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Cabinet on Friday okayed multi-million rupee funding for multiple sectors of the province.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi, met on Friday in Peshawar and approved a wide range of decisions related to the province’s future governance direction, policy guidelines, law and order, legislation, and administrative reforms.
Opening the meeting, the chief minister thanked all political parties for participating in the ‘Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Peace Jirga’ held at the Provincial Assembly, stating that while political differences may continue, “peace remains our shared objective.” He directed authorities to ensure progress on all resolutions passed by the provincial assembly and termed the abolition of “Actions in Aid of Civil Power” as an essential step toward protecting fundamental human rights.
The cabinet also approved the establishment of an inquiry commission into the Radio Pakistan Peshawar attack case. The commission will collect all available evidence – including CCTV footage – and submit its findings to the cabinet.
Chief Minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to establishing an interest-free Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, introducing Islamic investment models, enforcing a zero-tolerance policy on corruption, banning personal publicity through government funds, and ensuring transparency and merit-based decision-making. Referring to the provincial assembly’s unanimous resolution on the mistreatment of PTI founder chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in jail, he expressed regret that “the elected chief minister of 45 million people is not being allowed to meet his party’s founding chairman.”
He stressed that all government actions would be taken in consultation with elected representatives and in the best public interest. A comprehensive review of all provincial laws will be undertaken to identify gaps and recommend necessary amendments as per public interest.
The meeting was attended by cabinet members, the chief secretary, additional chief secretaries, senior members Board of Revenue, administrative secretaries, and the Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Later, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Information and Public Relations, Shafiq Jan, briefed the media on the cabinet decisions. He said that the cabinet had taken major steps relating to governance reforms, development and welfare schemes, financial matters, and legislative changes.
He stated that the vision of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder chairman Imran Khan was shared by Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi and the entire provincial team, and that the government would move forward based on transparency, merit, and zero tolerance for corruption. “Public money will be spent only for public welfare, not for personal publicity,” he added.
Shafiq Jan said that the cabinet, in its first session under the leadership of Muhammad Sohail Afridi and the 40th overall meeting, approved more than 50 key decisions during a six-hour sitting.
Among the notable approvals was the approval of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Witness Protection Rules 2025, aimed at ensuring the security of witnesses involved in sensitive investigations, prosecutions, and court proceedings under the Witness Protection Act 2021.
The cabinet also approved amendments to the Arms Rules 2014 and sanctioned recruitment for the families of martyred officials under the Shuhada Policy.
In the energy sector, the cabinet approved the release of Rs 500 million for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Transmission and Grid System Company. It also approved land acquisition for the Madain Hydropower Project, a key component of the government’s plan to expand provincial power generation and transmission infrastructure.
Financial assistance was approved for three indigent patients, including one requiring a transplant. The cabinet permitted the installation of an HVAC system at the Peshawar Museum and approved a scheme to improve sewage infrastructure in tourist areas. In sports, a special grant of Rs 27.7 million was sanctioned for the winners of the Shandur Polo Festival, while boxer Khan Saeed Afridi was granted Rs 2 million in financial support.
He said that the cabinet approved the Child Labour Action Plan 2025–29, under which around 745,000 child labourers will be enrolled in schools over the next five years. Shafiq Jan noted that Bannu Division and Upper Dir currently have the highest rates of child labour in the province.
A Relief Support Fund of Rs 4 billion was also approved for displaced families of North Waziristan who were affected during Operation Zarb-e-Azb. Shafiq Jan said the federal government, responsible for this funding, had not provided support for the past three years. He said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will provide every support to its own people. Funding for road improvements in South Waziristan and Swat was also approved, he said.
In a major education sector decision, the cabinet approved a historic allocation of Rs. 6.185 billion to address missing facilities in schools. Of this amount, Rs 1.20 billion will be r
